Ombudsman files FIR against Yeddyurappa in graft case

Bangalore, Aug 10 (IANS) The Karnataka Lokayukta (ombudsman) police Wednesday filed a first information report (FIR) against scam-hit former chief minister B.S. Yeddyurappa under the Prevention of Corruption Act for graft in award of a work contract in an irrigation project.

The FIR (No.33/11) was filed under section 13 (1) of the Karnataka Lokayukta Act, 1994, and the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988.

The ombudsman registered the graft case on a complaint filed by Janata Dal-Secular (JD-S) legislator Y.S.V. Datta against Yeddyurappa and Dhavalagiri Properties Ltd. The firm is owned by the former chief minister’s sons B.Y. Vijayendra and B.Y. Raghavendra, who is a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Lok Sabha member from Shimoga, about 280 km from here.

“As only the FIR is filed for investigating the graft case, it is too early to say what will be next course of action. The question of arresting the accused (Yeddyurappa) does not arise now. The law will take its own course. The police have to first investigate,” state ombudsman Justice V. Shivaraj Patil told reporters here.

Datta alleged in his complaint that the company of Yeddyurappa’s sons received a kickback of Rs.13 crore from a company that was awarded the work contract in the Bhadra upper canal project in their home district Shimoga.

“The company (Dhavalagiri) was given the work contract despite its charges being far higher than its competitors,” Datta alleged.

The additional city civil and sessions court registered the complaint Aug 8 and its judge N.K. Sudhindra Rao directed the Lokayukta police to investigate it.

Yeddyurappa resigned as the ruling BJP’s first chief minister in south India July 31 after he was indicted by former state ombudsman Justice (retd) N. Santosh Hedge July 27 in the multi-crore mining scam in the state.